The Irish standard., 1887-08-20
ST. ALpRONSUS De LIGuORI,
Bishop Of St. Agatha of the Goths
and Founder Of the Congregation
Of the Most Holy Redeemer.
BY HIS DEATH, AUGUST l, 1887,
Bright Star was Ecllpsed in the
Ohurch's Firmament, and a Bril-
liant Light was Extinguished.

liant Light was Extinguished.
On hundred years ago, on the lst of
August, 1857, a bright star was eclipsed
in the Church's armament, a brilliant
light was NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. de
Liguori, Bishop of St. Agatha Of the
Goths, end fonnderof the Congregation
of the Most Holy Redeemer. who had
lived almost throughout the whole of
the last century, passed from this life to
a better one.
This man had been raised by God to
do a great work, Ind he fulfilled his
mission faithfully. In the early part OF
his career he practised law, and was a
most distinguished member Of the Nea-
politan bar An unforeseen accident,
or rather mysterious djspensation OF
divine Providence. having caused Elm
to renounce his profession, he turlted
his thoughts exclusively to the things
of heaven and embraced the CLERICAL
state, notwithstanding the vehement
opposition Of his father Gradually di
vine Providence led him onward to his
end, and few years after his ordina-
tion as priest he founded the Congre-
CATION of the Most Holy Redeemer in
the midst Of iunumerahle obstacles.
The first Redemptorist distinguished
himself by his untiring zeal for the sal
walton Of souls, and lived solely for the
greater glory of God. Having been
bishop against his will, he labored zeal
ously for the good of his diocese ana Of
the Universal Church, until old age and
infrmities forced him to resign his Of
fee. Retired into one of the houses Of
his congregation, he led most exen-
plary life to the end and expired in the
midst Of his children, after having
PASSED Through the crucible Of the MOST
dire Affections.
1t would be impossible for us to emu
merate all the great works OF this in
comparable man Like the Fathers nf
tile early ages, st. Alphonsus seems to
have been set up by God as a bulwark
against Jansenisn The devil made
use Of this h, resy to undermine the con-
fidence OF sinful man in Gods infinite
mercy, and thus cast him h4adlong into
ruin. Alphonsus, by Ills preaching, his
excellent work on moral theology, and
his writings, opposed an impregnable
Fl, +Le 1o ,sf uI1}.f Il
enemy, and of course. drew UP II hi.i.-
self the hatred OF the Jansenists. Two
religious cong:eg atoms owe 70 him
their existence-that OF She Redemp-
toristines and the Congregation OF Re
demptorists. The Contemplaiye Order
of Redemptoristine Nuns received their
rule from him, and was developed under
his immediate supervision, This Order
crossed the Alps in the first half of the
present century, and to day numbers
sevpr$i houses in Italy, Au-tria, Bava
ria. Hpila; d, Belgium, France, and
Ireland. The 81 tiers Of the Order OF
the Most Holy Rpdeemer follow to the
present day therule Of their holy found
er, edifying the world by their life OF
seclusion and prayer.
The work of predilect1on, however, to
which Alphonsus devoted his life was
the esta bljsbment Of the Congregation
of Redemptorists. Undoubtedly the
heart of our saint must exult with JOY
tc, day when, looking down from his
throne above, he beholds his spiritual
SONS spread over divers parts of Europe.
America and Australia. The -Redemp-
torists have in this centenary year es-
tablishments in Italy, Sicily. Austria,
Bavaria, Germany, Switzerland, France,
Belgium, Holland, Poland, Bohemia,
England, Scotland and Ireland. They
are numerous in the United States, and
are to be found in the United States of
Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chill, the
Argentine Republic, Dutch Guiana,
the West Indies and Canada. They
have also house il Australia.
Numerous are the works of st. AL
phonsus. Besides his great work on
moral theology, he wrote numerous
treatises Oh philosophy, dogmatic theo-
logy and asceticism. A centenary edi.
tion of his ascetical works is now being
edited by Benziger Bros, New Y ork.
Alphonsus was truly the man of
Providence in the eighteenth century,
At a time when the in6del theories of
Toltalre, Rosseau, and their fellows
were fast gaining ground, especially in
France and Italy, Alphonsus appeared
upon the stage Of the worlds history
to uphold true reason and revelation
1t is, perhaps, but little known that he
wrote learned refutation of the ma
terialistic systems of Locke, Hobbies
and Spinoza. Christianity was being
undermined by wolves in sleeps cloth
ing-the Jansenists-Who did all in
their power to deter Christians from
the reorganization Of the Sacraments.s
55Ef s45ss55s